The Other Chosen
by Fan-of-Insert-Sues
Summary: "Choose someone else." She had said this to the ocean, holding out the heart of Te Fiti. So it did. It chose two sisters from a place and time that had not been touched by the spreading darkness. With the help of a little fish that could control the weather... (MauixNani)
1. Chapter 1

(A/n) This is what happens when you have a toddler and watch Disney movies. Don't ask me where it came come. It was a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. This takes place in an AU setting which means Stitch will not make an appearance. I am a big romance writer- I love romance. Considering I am not throwing an OC in here is a testament to how much I love this plot bunny. So criticize and flame it to high hell! I am just a hard working wife and mother taking advantage of nap time.

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Chapter One: Pudge the Fish

There were some that looked at her and pitied her.

There were some who looked at her and wondered how a nineteen year old could handle the responsibility of raising a six year old. Yes, she was legally an adult and she was the only family that the six year old had left, but she was still so young herself. Didn't she have dreams of going to college? Seeing the world? Wasn't there anyone else who could take the responsibility off of her hands?

The government seemed to think so judging by how many social workers marched in and out of their house on a monthly basis. Ever since the car accident six months prior that took their parents' lives, Nani and Lilo Pelekai have been trying hard to stay together as a family. They were trying hard not to cry. They were trying hard to not fall apart at the seams. They were trying…

There were days that Nani wanted so badly to curl up into a ball and cry and cry until she was completely empty. There were days that she felt so angry at the world that she wanted to scream and scream until her voice was nothing more than a ragged croak. Yet, she had to be strong, for Lilo's sake. Even if she was bone tired from trying to hold down two part time jobs trying to pay the bills. There weren't many places willing to hire a nineteen year old for a full time position let alone with a six year old child to take care of and raise. It was a slight blessing that their house had been paid off by her parents' life insurance and there was a trust fund that had been set up for them to help them stay afloat. Nani did not want to touch it, she wanted her sister to at least have a chance. Yet, there were those times when she would see Lilo and see how tired she was.

Her six year old sister was just as lost as she was, perhaps even more so. They were both so tired of trying to survive when they could not grieve properly. Everyone was expecting them to move on with their lives already. They didn't seem to understand just how deep the grief ran… It was this choking thing that was a constant in their daily routines. Both sisters were tired…

It was perhaps because of this that, when Lilo came to her that early Thursday morning asking where the peanut butter was, Nani decided to throw responsibility to the wind, for just one moment. She had looked at her little sister with her bag in hand filled with her things: her handmade doll, her hula skirts, and various odds and ends. She could feel the choking sadness in her heart as she turned back to the stove to turn it off. The lunch she had been planning for their new social worker coming to visit today could wait. She wasn't much of a cook anyway. She set about putting things away and back in the fridge and cupboards while looking for the peanut butter jar. When she found it, it was empty. She had heaved a sigh and turned to look at her sister, holding up the empty jar. Already she could see the lower lip trembling and a part of Nani knew that any other time she would have swept away the sad look and told Lilo to feed Pudge the fish something else.

Today was different.

"C'mon Lilo," she said as she moved to set the jar aside to wash it out later for recycling. "Let me make a few calls and we'll head to the store and get more peanut butter." She moved to her sister and ran a hand over her silky black hair. "Don't worry about hula class today. We're going to make sure Pudge gets his peanut butter sandwich and then we're going to have a nice lunch at the diner in town before the social worker gets here. How's that sound?"

The smile she had gotten in return was the first bright one she had seen on her sister's face in weeks. She knew she was doing the right thing. With a plan set in motion, Nani went on to make the phone calls to Lilo's hula instructor and her boss advising that they were taking a personal day for much needed family time. It was something they had not had since before the accident…

Thankfully, the other adults were understanding of the last minute change in plans, and soon they had a morning that was free of any expectations. As Nani hung up the phone, she turned to her sister and told her to grab the bread while she want to grab her bathing suit. They were going to have a good day today.

-o-

As Nani followed her sister into the warm waters, a part of her deep inside let out a sweet sigh in relief.

 _No worries..._

"Nani! Hurry up!" Lilo called as she let out an excited giggle, reaching out to grab her older sister's hand while holding on tightly to the peanut butter sandwich she had painstakingly made for Pudge. Nani could only laugh in reply as her sister tugged her deeper into the clear waters, her eyes searching for her fish.

There were many different kinds, all shapes and sizes, but Lilo seemed to know which one was hers. It was something that she had started to do not too long after the accident. Every Thursday, she would take Pudge the fish a peanut butter sandwich. It was a strange ritual but not one that Nani had ever questioned before. Her sister was a strong swimmer and she knew the waters as well as Nani herself did. Yet, she had never asked the six year old why it was so important that Pudge had to have a peanut butter sandwich.

So, while they were wading out toward the deeper waters, she had asked this very question. Lilo looked at her, a slight frown on her young face as she regarded her older sister. "Pudge controls the weather," she said with all the seriousness that only a six year old could have.

"Ah," was all Nani could say in reply. In a strange sort of way, it made sense. If she believed that the fish that controls the weather is happy then there would be no bad storms. Like the one that took their parents… She could only follow her sister closely, her heart feeling heavy. As an adult, she knew how the world worked, or at least she was learning. Yet, there was a part of her that wanted to believe her sister. If Pudge the fish controlled the weather and was kept happy, than no one else they knew and loved would ever be swept away in a bad storm.

"There he is!" Lilo cried out as she pointed out to the water.

Nani's brown eyes searched the area her little sister pointed to and could make out the silhouette of a bright orange fish with speckles of green on its back swimming its way toward the little girl. It was swimming with a purpose and the moment it reach Lilo it began swimming excitedly around her legs, nudging her hand that held its beloved sandwich. Lilo giggled as she gave the sandwich to the orange fish and waved happily to her friend.

Nani smiled at the sweet sight of it and felt a calm touch her heart. This had been the right thing to do…

The fish had paused in its swimming when it caught sight of Nani's legs at that moment. There was a moment when both sisters and the fish remained bobbing in the waves before it let go of its sandwich and darted straight to for the woman. Before Nani could react there was a sharp bite on her right ankle and she let out a hiss and a curse. A split second later there was yelp of pain from Lilo and, her own pain forgotten, Nani quickly moved to her sister and swept her up out of the water and into the safety of her arms.

"Lilo, are you ok?" Nani looked her sister over, checking to see for any serious wounds. On her left ankle, a circular wound was bleeding over, a distinct spiral shape that seemed strange to have come from a fish bite.

"Pudge bit me," the six year old said, the disbelief could be heard in her little voice. "Why did he bite me?" She was rubbing the tears away from her cheeks as she looked at her sister. "Did he bite you too?"

A flash of white hot anger swept over her as she looked around the water, trying to spot the orange fish. It took a moment but she saw it several feet away in the clear water, its sandwich in its mouth. It stared back at the two sisters, blinked, before turning and swimming away.

"C'mon Lilo, let's get out of the water and get you bandaged up," said Nani as she frowned before turning around, her own right ankle stinging from where the fish had bitten her. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea…

As she made her way back to the beach, there was a distinct rumble in the distance…

"Nani…?"

The sound of her little sister's voice trembling with fear caused her to pause in her steps. There was something behind her…

She slowly turned her head and caught the sight of a curling wave of glowing water hovering just above them before it suddenly came crashing down upon them. All Nani could hear was roaring in her ears as she held onto her sister tightly, trying to fight the sudden pull of the ocean as it dragged Lilo and her deeper into the water...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Separated

Lilo had been so scared the moment glowing water had crashed over them.

There had been this terrible roaring sound as the ocean filled her ears and pulled them underneath the surface. She wanted to scream but instinct had taken over and she held her breath as her big sister held her tightly, keeping her from being pulled away and into the swirling, rushing, undertow.

There was a terrible moment of vertigo as they were pulled deeper and deeper into the water, the constant spinning made her feel sick to her stomach. It went on for what seemed like forever before they suddenly stopped spinning. There was a moment of calm and Lilo sneaked a chance to open her eyes. What greeted her sight was Pudge the fish swimming lazily in front of them, its sandwich still in its mouth. Lilo blinked as she watched the fish lazily back away and slowly turn to look at something behind it. Lilo followed its gaze as a distant green pulsing light began to emerge from the depths of the ocean, being held by a glowing current of water. She looked up at her sister, seeing that Nani's gaze was also on the strange current of water and the pulsing green light it caught in its flow.

The swirling, glowing water that held them eased slightly as the pulsing green light floated closer to them. As the sisters watched the green light, it floated to a stop in front of Lilo, revealing itself to be an oval pounamu stone with a spiral design engraved on it. There was something warm about the stone and, without a moment's hesitation, Lilo reached out to take the stone. The moment she did, a bubble of air encased them and both sisters let out a gasping breaths, taking in the air with relief. The strange glowing water that held them in its flow began to swirl around them, a voice that sounded like the waves crashing against the shore filled their thoughts. It seemed to ebb and flow much like the ocean that surrounded them.

 _My brother has chosen you to help save our mother._

Pudge the fish was still swimming lazily about their air bubble, just now beginning to munch on the peanut butter sandwich Lilo had given it. A deep laugh bubbled in their thoughts, as if the ocean itself were laughing at the fish. _I hope he is not misguided in his faith in you._

The fish had finished its sandwich before it turned its attention back to the sisters, who were staring at the fish in shock. The fish stared at them with its large eyes, looking as if were trying to convey something in its gaze.

"Pudge?" Lilo managed to get out, finding her voice as she stared at the orange fish. She reached out a hand toward the fish, leaning out of her sister's embrace.

"L-Lilo, stay close," said Nani as she held her sister more tightly against her.

The orange fish focused its gaze at the little girl and then toward the older sister before it seemed to take in a breath. It took continued taking in that breath until it seemed to grow twice its size before it let loose a torrent of bubbles. The bubbles seemed to kick up a maelstrom around them. The bubble of air that had given them a much needed reprieve from the ocean that surrounded them suddenly disappeared. The water crashed around them, surrounding them and pulling at every part of them with such force that the sisters could barely hold on to each other.

The force of the maelstrom continued to pull and spin them around and around until the force became too much and the two sisters were pulled apart from each other. With a desperate grab, Nani tried to reach out for her sister, her mouth open as she tried to cry out Lilo's name but the salty water simply stole her voice and filled her mouth. Lilo was trying so hard to grab her sister's reaching hands but the force of the maelstrom was much stronger. They were pulled away from each other, the sweeping currents taking them in opposite directions, both sisters fighting with every ounce of their being to not be separated but to no avail.

-o-

There was nothing more than the sound and sight of rushing ocean currents.

It pulled the two sisters far from one another, their mutual feelings of panic and fear escalating with each passing moment. It was during this time that the spiral marks on their respective ankles healed over, leaving behind a distinctive scar that was of a much paler hue than their natural skin tone. It would be the one sign that would save both sisters from being lost among the dying islands of this strange new world.

The elder sister, the woman who the strange fish had chosen, would wash up on the shore of a small island that was nothing more than craggy rocks and caves, some greenery dotting here and there. She would be guided along by the gentle current of the glowing ocean, directing her to the place where her help was truly needed. It would be here, in the growing dawn of the morning light, that the only resident of the island, who had been pacing the length of the shore in contemplative broodiness over his own personal failures for the past several days, would literally stumble upon the unconscious nineteen year old...

The younger sister, the child who the ocean had chosen to give the heart of Te Fiti to, would wash up on the shore of a large island inhabited by a group of kindhearted people. She would be guided gently and sweetly by the spirit of a manta ray, directing her to the place where her sweet insight as the other chosen would be of help to the dying island. It would be here, in the growing dawn of the morning light, that one sixteen year old girl, who had been cried and prayed to the gods to help her people where she had failed, would stumble upon the unconscious six year old girl girl, clutching the heart of Te Fiti in her hand...

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(A/n) Thanks to those who have left feed back. I have been turning over and over in my head how to best do this cross over without following the Moana story line verbatim. Bear in mind that chapters will be short, a page or two at most. I don't have much time to sit and write. If you have any ideas on how you would like this story to go drop me a line, I am open to ideas. Thanks again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Awakening

The first thought that came to Nani's waking mind was the worry.

She came to with a startled gasp as her eyes snapped open, her brown eyes frantically searching her surroundings as she struggled to sit up. The last thing she had remembered was being swept out to sea, her grasping hands struggling to keep hold of her baby sister…

"L-Lilo," she called out with a gasping cough as she struggled to sit up, her body protesting each movement she made. She ran a hand through her thick dark hair, pulling the strands away from her face as she managed to get herself into an upright position. "Lilo?"

She found herself in a rather large cave, sunlight was streaming down from an opening in the ceiling high above, and a nearby broken statue of some man rested several yards away from her. There was a small fire crackling nearby her, giving her some warmth and helping to dry out the blue and turquoise striped bikini she still wore. There looked to be a woven mat resting opposite of her, some ropes and hooks laying in a neat pile, and a basket of what looked like dried fish and some fruit. She was resting on what seemed to be a similar woven mat. The entirety of her surroundings looked to be out of the page of some history book she recalled from her elementary school days.

Deciding that the better option would be not to freak out, Nani got to her shaking feet and looked around for a potential exit. Whomever it was that had taken her to this cave looked to be some kind of weird tree-hugging hermit; they had no modern items whatsoever amongst their belongings. When her wandering gaze found sunlight streaming in from a large opening to her right, she carefully made her way toward what looked to be the exit.

A part of her was worried that she had been swept off to some rural island off the coast of Kaua'i. She didn't know where her sister was and a part of her was so scared for her. What if she was hurt or worse?

She had been so deep in her own thoughts, her careful steps had hastened and she moved quickly to the exit of the cave, not noticing the shadow that had now appeared. With a resounding thud, she crashed into some very solid and fell back flat on her butt. She gasped in surprise as she stared up at the thing she had crashed into, not making out any discerning features other than that this person was a very large, very broad-shouldered man…

-o-

(A/n) sorry for the short page, currently doing this on lunch break. Thanks for the feedback! I'll try and get back tomorrow with an update


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Going Lolo

"Whoa there, you all right?" The tone of the deep voice that belonged to the very large man was not what Nani was expecting. There was genuine concern touching his words as he took one large step toward her and reached down a large hand toward her.

Nani, being already on edge with all of the strangeness that had happened to her so far, had let out an odd squealing sound and tried frantically to move away from the man, her bare feet sliding across the sandy floor of the cave. She wasn't getting very far and she quickly scrambled around to get back on her trembling feet. Her eyes searched the immediate area for some kind of weapon to protect herself with- she didn't know if this man was a deranged psycho. As she backed further into the cave, her initial opinion of the man being crazy escalated. As she passed under the shaft of sunlight from the hole in the ceiling, skirting around the fire, she watched as the large man had followed after her, his large hand held out to her as if trying to calm her.

As he took a step into the shaft of sunlight, her breath caught in her throat. He was a wild man. He was almost naked save for a skirt of different types of palm fronds and leaves tied together about his hips by a length of rope, several sea shells could be seen dangling amidst the leaves. Around the loose waves of his thick dark hair, a heavy necklace of various teeth from what looked like all manner of different creatures hung from his neck. Tattoos lined every visible inch of his skin save for his face, his hands and his feet. In his right hand, he carried a massive fish hook that looked to be made of bone and was intricately carved with swirling patterns, designs and writing. He quickly noticed how freaked out she was getting at the sight of him and carefully set his massive fish hook to the floor beside him, his other hand still outstretched in a calming gesture. "Hey there lady, it's all right. I'm not gonna hurt ya. See? The fish hook is on the ground… Just relax."

She felt as if she was going to hyperventilate as she stared at this wild man dressed in a skirt of leaves who was talking to her as if _she_ was the crazy one. She almost felt as if she might be with the way she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She reached up to thrust her hands into her hair and closed her eyes, trying to find some semblance of normality with everything that had happened so far. She and her sister had been swept out to sea, the ocean had _talked_ to them, given her sister some strange glowing pounamu stone and then Pudge the fish had proven himself to be more than just a fish when he called up a maelstrom that separated them. Her sister was _missing_ and the only thing she could think of that made any sense was that she had inhaled too much seawater and was going mad because of it.

"Am I going _lolo?"_ She asked herself as she looked around the cave, her eyes darting over every little detail, before landing back on the large man. She was trying so hard not to break down in front of this wild stranger but it was becoming too much. First her parents were taken and now her baby sister was missing…

She had been trying so hard to stay strong, trying so hard to keep Lilo from being taken away by social services and now _this_ happened. She had only wanted to see her baby sister smile and now she was _gone._

Without another word, she pulled her hands from her hair and hugged herself tight, the tears now flowing freely as she fell to her knees. Her thick dark hair fell forward to hide her face from view as a keening sound escaped her throat.

 _Her sister was gone and it was all her fault_.

The keening turned to a heartfelt wail as the weight of everything finally broke through the wall she had tried to keep around her heart. She hung her head low as she curled into herself, the despair and the grief that had been a constant in her life overwhelming her with this fresh new loss. The heaving sobs could barely allow in a breath in between and before she realized it she was being picked up by a pair of strong hands. She was being lifted as if she weighed nothing and she settled quite easily against a strong chest The wild man's deep voice spoke above her ear. "Breathe… Let it go slow and breathe in..."

He was carrying her outside of the cave and into the sunlight, out into fresh air where she could breathe easy….

-o-

(A/n) again so sorry for the short pages, I did warn I barely have time. I'll update again as soon as I can.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Moana

Lilo had always been a brave little thing.

Even when her parents had been taken in the storm, she had tried her best to stay strong for her older sister. She tried her best not to be too difficult. Of course, there were times when they would argue and the anger from both sides would spark and ignite, causing them to say hurtful things that they would regret later. They were only sisters after all and it didn't help that they had inherited their father's sparking temper. Their mother had always been the calming presence in the family…

Now, this six year old was trying so hard not to cry.

The ocean had taken Nani from her and sent her far, far away from where she currently was. She knew that her sister was alive; the spiral mark on her left ankle would pulse gently with a deep blue light whenever she thought of her sister, a feeling of warmth making itself known. There was some magic at play here, though what it was she could not say. She didn't know why Pudge the fish had bitten her or why the ocean had chosen to give her the strange green stone that pulsed with green light and warmth.

All that she knew was that she was a strange island known as Motunui, where a large village filled with the nicest people she had ever met lived and her sister was nowhere to be found among them. An older girl had found her washed up on their beach and had taken Lilo to her home. It was here that Lilo had awoken to the sight and sound of people talking in hushed tones. They were a man and woman- they looked to be the same age as Lilo's parents had been. They were standing not too far from where she lay on a woven mat, a handsome couple that wore what looked to be clothing from times past- intricately woven skirts and dresses, flowers, shells and leaves woven into headdresses, bracelets and anklets on wrists, ankles and – in the woman's case- woven into their hair. They were like Lilo and Nani- russet of skin, dark hair and eyes- and yet Lilo instinctively knew that they were not natives of her Hawaiian island. Where ever the ocean had taken her, she was far from her sister and far from her home…

At the sound of her stirring, the man and woman had turned their attention to her and the woman smiled in relief as she moved to kneel down beside Lilo's mat. "Hello, little one," she said, her tone was warm and loving, sounding so much like her own mother used to that Lilo felt an immediate stab of grief. "We're so glad you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Lilo turned her head this way and that, searching the room she was in for any sign of her older sister, even though she already knew her sister was not with her. She focused her large brown eyes on the woman as she struggled to sit up. "Where's my sister?" she asked in turn, ignoring the woman's question about her wellbeing.

The woman frowned lightly at her question and turned back to look at the man, who must've been her husband, before she focused her gaze back on Lilo. "You washed up from the ocean little one… You were alone… I'm so sorry."

A soft frown touched Lilo's face as she listened to the woman speak, her words felt different somehow but she could understand her. She had a feeling it was another gift from Pudge the fish. She wondered what the little fish had to do with the ocean's request to save their mother. They had separated her from Nani and she knew that Nani was alive somewhere out there. She not only was a brave little thing but also very observant. She knew that the ocean had separated them for a purpose, that purpose being to save its mother, whoever or whatever that was. The incentive would be her quest to reunite with her sister at any cost. She just knew that Nani was beside herself with worry and she had to find her. Then she would ask Nani what they had to do to save the ocean's mom.

She had lost her own mom after all so she understood better than anyone how the ocean and Pudge the fish felt. If she could get her mom back, she would do so in heartbeat. She knew Nani would have a good idea how to help them save their mom.

"I need to find her," she said to the woman as she moved her hand to pull away the woven blanket that covered her. She was wearing a dress that was similar in style to the woman's; beneath it she was still wearing her bathing suit. "Could you please show me where the ocean is? I have to ask it where it took my sister." She moved off of the mat and stood up, looking expectantly between the man and woman as she waited for one of them to answer her.

The man and woman stared at the little girl for what seemed like minutes before the voice of a teenage girl called from behind them. "I can show you the way," she said.

They all turned to look at the door way of the home to see a young with long dark curly hair and an understanding and kind smile on her young face. It was same girl who had found Lilo on the beach that morning. Lilo remembered her in a fleeting moment of awareness from before, she was nice.

"Thank you," she said before she looked at the man and woman. "I'm Lilo, it's nice to meet you." Her mother and father had instilled in her good manners and it would have been rude to leave without introducing herself. "Thank you for taking care of me but I have to find my sister now. The ocean said that I had to save its mom but it took my sister far away. I have to find her before she gets worried." She turned her attention to the older girl.

The older girl smiled, somewhat sadly, at the six year old as she held out her hand, in it she held the green, glowing stone. "Hi Lilo, I'm Moana. I think this is yours…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Maui

He could admit it.

He was a smug bastard, selfish to the extreme, and more than a little gung ho when it came trying to prove his worth as the Hero to All.

When he had taken the Heart of Te Fiti, he never knew that it would give rise to all of the disasters that had befallen him. He had lost the Heart, had lost his Hook – the source of his shapeshifting abilities – and he became stranded on a small, rocky island for a thousand years.

Despite the situation that arose, a part of him refusing to acknowledge that this was a punishment from the gods, he had maintained his cocky, self-assured attitude. Up until a little girl showed up in a boat and turned his monotonous world upside down. Well, she wasn't a little girl but she was still young, naïve to the world and all of the dangers around her. He had tried several times to lose the girl but she was like a barnacle- stubborn and refusing to let go. She was determined; he could give her that as much. And he had grudgingly felt his respect for her go up a little… just a little.

Moana of Motunui.

She had repeated it enough times that it had become ingrained into his memory, though he refused to call her by her name at any given point. They had finally come to an agreement: he would help her in her quest to restore the Heart of Te Fiti if they found his hook first.

During their adventure in the Realm of Monsters trying to get his hook back, he had learned – in a very painful lesson – that he was not as powerful or infallible as he had always believed. You would think that losing his battle with lava demon, Takka, would have been the moment to break through the wall of narcissism he had built. Losing the battle to the crab had been the moment that made a crack.

Moana had tried and succeeded in helping him to believe in himself and the moment he was able to successfully transform into that small beetle, the wall had become solid once more. Dare he say it; he was beginning to believe in the girl and her quest as the Chosen One…

And then they confronted Takka…

And it was a disaster.

They barely made it out alive and his hook had been damaged in the process.

The anger that had roiled in him was the first of its kind. He had lashed out at Moana – she had lashed right back. Hurtful words were said from both ends and Maui finally left the girl, stranded in the middle of the ocean, with no wind or current to guide her.

That had only been several days ago.

He had been in his giant hawk form, flying aimlessly on the current of the winds, until a small craggy island had emerged in the distance. He had nowhere else to go…

So it was here where he stayed and contemplated and thought of every single choice – good and bad – that he had ever made in his long life. He had done so much for Man and in the end, what did he have to show for it?

A rocky island with a single cave and a pile of regret and self-loathing…

It had been during one of his many walks around the island, in the predawn light of early morning – a walk of reflection and self-doubt – that he had literally stumbled over the crumpled form of a body that had washed ashore. Surprise had been his first reaction and then a slight worry as he looked back at the body. In the predawn light, it was hard to discern if it was a man or woman. When he had taken a step closer, a gasping breath, the rise and fall of a chest, and the sound of feminine coughing, revealed it to be a woman.

Much to his wariness, he kneeled down to turn the woman over, brushing back the long, thick, tangled, dark hair from her face. He studied her face – a slight relief that it was not Moana but a stranger – and then at the gentle lapping waves of the ocean. A slight frown touched his face as he studied the quiet water, "What did you do this time?"

The ocean didn't respond in any way. It only continued to lap gently against the sandy shore, the sound soothing and rhythmic.

Not knowing what else to do, he had picked the unconscious woman up from the sand – noting that she wore strange clothing in varied hues of blue that clung to her form – and brought her to his cave. He had set up his extra mat, built a fire to warm her up, and then went out to go fishing, knowing that she was at least going to be hungry when she awoke.

When he had returned several hours later and walked into the cave, it was to find the woman wide awake and looking like she was having a panic attack. When he had addressed her, trying to keep her calm, she had freaked out at the sight of him, falling over on her backside and scrabbling to get away from him. He had stepped further into the cave, setting his damaged hook aside, to show that he meant her no harm as he slowly made his way into the cave.

She continued to stare at him from across the way before her hands found their way into that thick, dark mane of hair. "Am I going _lolo?_ " she had asked herself, a strange word that he didn't understand though she had spoken in the native tongue well. She had looked as if she were searching for something, some semblance of familiarity, when she pulled her hands down and hugged herself tightly. She hung her head low and seemed to shrink into herself as a keening sound escaped her, a heart wrenching sound that touched the very heart of him, before it turned into a wail.

She was hyperventilating, the wracking sobs that gripped her body not allowing her the chance to breathe. Without hesitation, he had closed the distance between them and picked her up. He spoke soothing words that came from a place he did not know he had, comforting words that seemed to ease the sobs that had taken her…

Now, here they were, two strangers sitting on the beach of his small, rocky island, staring out into the vast expanse of ocean. Her sobs had finally ceased save for a few hiccups and sniffles. She was staring despondently out into the water, a few tears still trailing down her cheeks. He didn't speak to her, he wanted to give her space, give her time… It was all he could give her.

After a moment, she wiped the tears from her face and turned her gaze to look up at him. At the sight of those deep eyes so filled with grief and loss, a part of him had frozen. Whatever the ocean had done, it had taken this woman far from her home and far from those she loved, that much he could discern. That much grief in one so young…

"Thank you," she said and turned her gaze back to the ocean. "I'm sorry about earlier… Too much…" She closed her eyes and shook her head, looking as if she was going to curl into herself again. "We had gone swimming… A crazy wave took us under… I lost my sister out there. I don't know if…" She pressed her fist to her mouth, looking as if she was trying to choke back the words. After a moment, she took in a breath to calm herself and looked at him once more. "I take it you saved me out there… Thanks… I'm Nani." She looked around at the island before she turned her gaze back to him. "Who are you and how far are we from _Kaua'i_?"

He looked at her for a moment, the word she had used catching with him. " _Kaua'i_?" He frowned at that as he tried to think of all the islands and towns that Man had discovered over the years. That particular name did not ring a bell. He reached up to scratch is head, a faint blush rising into his cheeks at the intense stare this woman, this Nani, gave him. "I don't know of any place called _Kaua'i_ but I'm sure we can get you back to wherever you came from." He dropped his hand and gave her one of his best, winning smiles that usually worked on mortals. "I'm Maui, nice to meet you Nani."

She stared at him for a moment, blinked one, before a confused frown slowly began to appear on her face. "Your name… is Maui?"

"Uh… yeah," he said in reply, a little of put by the fact that she didn't seem as awed as other mortals. In fact, she looked downright confused.

"Your name – your actual, given name – is Maui," she turned to face him properly, her bare knees digging into the sand. "You're named after the island?"

Now it was the demigod's turn to frown in confusion. "There's an island named after me?"

"Oh no…," said Nani as she turned away from him and stared at the water for a moment before she brought her knees up and dropped her head between them. " _Lolo…_ The whole world has gone _lolo_ …"

There was that funny word again.

Maui frowned at her and shook his head. "What does that even mean? _Lolo?_ "

Her answering groan was enough.

Things were a lot more difficult than he originally thought.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Lilo

Moana could say, with slight awe, that this strange little girl named Lilo that the ocean had chosen to restore the heart of Te Fiti was unlike anyone she had ever known in her life. She had to be no more than five or six years of age and yet she held the air of someone who seemed older. An old soul is what her grandma would have said.

When she had taken the little girl to that familiar cliff side next to the cave and the ocean had risen to meet with them, its glowing form arching to hover over them, Lilo had simply stared up at the water. There was a slight frown on her face as she studied the glowing wave before she tilted her head to the side, her curtain of straight black hair falling like dark water over her small shoulders.

"Hi," she said, with all the seriousness of an adult greeting another adult. "So, I'm here now." She looked up at Moana before she focused her gaze on ocean. "I need to find my sister. Her name is Nani, if she didn't tell you. Could you take me to her, please? Then we can help your mom."

Moana was slightly confused by everything this little girl had said. What did she mean by help the ocean's mom?

Yet, the ocean seemed to follow along with no problem, because it had given the equivalent of a nod before it reached out hover over Moana's head, little water droplets falling onto her dark hair. Moana stared up at the water in surprise before understanding dawned on her. "You want me to take her?"

The ocean moved away and again gave the equivalent of a nod.

She felt slightly queasy to her stomach as she looked down at Lilo, a frown on her face. The last time she had spoken with the ocean, she had been out on her boat in the middle of it, telling it to choose someone else to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Now here it was, having chosen someone else – a little girl – and asking her for help. In reality, she was the only one who could help Lilo. She was the only one on the whole island who knew how to sail. No one else would be able to take her and she doubted the ocean would risk it taking her within its waters with all of the dangers that still sailed on and swam through it. She was surprised the little girl had even made it to the island without a boat in one piece – the ocean's doing no doubt.

There was only a slight hesitation on Moana's part; she did not want to leave her people yet again in the middle of this crisis their island was facing. Yet there was nothing they had done so far that had helped to slow or even stop the growing darkness that was spreading slowly across their island. No amount of ritual or prayer to the gods had brought a change to their situation. Moana knew that the only way to save their island was to restore the heart.

With a soft sigh, Moana gave a single nod to the ocean before she looked down at Lilo. "I will help you find your sister. The ocean should know where she is and can take us to her." She looked back to the ocean and raised a slender brow in question. "Won't you?"

The ocean gave another nod before it disappeared back down to the rest of the water, the glowing light fading away. Lilo glanced up at the older girl and then down at the pounamu stone she held securely in her small hand. "I hope we can find her soon. I know she's really worried…" A slight sniffle escaped her as the tears began to well in her dark eyes.

Moana felt a stab of sympathy touch her heart and she kneeled down to reach out and run a comforting hand through the little girl's straight dark hair. Moana rather liked the girl's hair- so straight and dark- slightly different from her own dark waves and curls. "We'll find your sister, I know we will." She gave her a sweet smile, trying to feel as confident as she sounded. After everything that had happened in her own journey – and how she had failed – she was a little wary of trying to feel such hope again. Yet, seeing the smile on this little girl's face as she wiped the tears from her chubby cheeks, did make her feel better.


End file.
